Joshua, the Man

Jesus - Yahweh is salvation

Ἰησοῦς Iēsous; of Heb. or. [3091]; Jesus or Joshua, the name of the Messiah, also three other Isr.:—Jesus(904), Jesus’(7), Joshua(3).

Joshua in Summary

Slave - escaped from Egypt, first-born son, saved by the blood of the lamb

Slave - escaped from Egypt

Soldier - protected the Israelites from an attack by the Amalekites

Spy - in Canaan, one of those who trusted God

Servant - aide to Moses

Successor - named by God to succeed Moses

Successor - named by God to succeed Moses

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He came to deliver us out of bondage into the freedom of Christian life.

II. What’s in a Place?

The Promised Land and the story of Israel is a true story, but one that also illustrates for us our spiritual relationship with the very same God that Abraham and Jacob called friend.

This journey is an illustration of our spiritual lives. It shows how we rid ourselves of the old, sinful life and step into a rich inheritance of rest and trust in Jesus Christ. It makes no promise that there will be no battles, but that we can trust in God to fight those battles and when we depend upon Him more, the greater the victory will be.

Four Spiritual Experiences

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1. Egypt

Egypt was a place of death and bondage. There was no way out without God’s help. The people of Israel cried out to God asking for Him to deliver them from their bondage.

This is a lot like our enslavement to sin and our bondage without God. There is no way out of sin without God’s help and without a deliverer.

God sent Moses to Egypt to deliver them from slavery.

He sent Jesus to us in order to save us from the slavery of sin.

John 3:16 NASB95

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Christ, through his death and resurrection, delivers the believer from the bondage of sin, from God’s judgment, and from the death of eternal separation from God.

2. Wilderness

2. Wilderness - a consequence of unbelief and rebellion against God

The wilderness was Israel’s punishment for doubt, disbelief, and rebellion against God.

We can find ourselves in a wilderness experience when we fail to step into the rest and inheritance that we could experience in Christ.

Sometimes this happens because we are so addicted to our sin that we refuse to step into the fulness of Christian life. Other times it may be that nobody has told us of the rich Christian life and shepherded us into that experience.

3. Canaan

Canaan, the Promised Land, was to be God’s best for Israel, until they rebelled against Him.

We sometimes have a skewed understanding of Canaan. This stems from a poor theology that depicts Canaan as an image of Heaven.

Canaan is not a place where there is no more struggle, but each struggle promises a victory when our belief and our trust is placed in our redeemer.

As we continue to study Joshua, we will see that the land was given to Israel, but they still had a lot of work to do to claim the land and make it their own.

Joshua 11:23 NASB95

So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. Thus the land had rest from war.

- …and very much of the land remains to be possessed.

Joshua 13:1 NASB95

Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed.

Joshua

PRINCIPLE We have all that we need for victorious Christian living, but we must take up our faith step by step and possess it fully.

Joshua 18:3 NASB95

So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?

I ask a similar question of you...

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Q How long will you put off taking possession of the fulness of faith that Christ has given you?

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Canaan is a place where the enemy is defeated again and again and our inheritance in Christ is claimed.

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1 John 5:1–5 NASB95

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments.For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

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This is the victorious Christian life at its best, this side of Heaven.

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4. Babylon

If we are to look at Israel’s experience as a guide for success, we must heed the warnings of Israel’s experience as well.

Eventually Israel slipped into their old ways and disobeyed God. They intermingled with the inhabitants of the land instead of completely destroying them as God had warned them. This led to an exposure to their idol worship. Further disobedience led the Israelites to tolerate and even participate in worshiping the idols of the false gods.

Continued disobedience and rebellion against God led to the removal of His protection and to the fall of Israel and the captivity of God’s people in Babylon.

Babylon was a place of punishment for God’s children. It was a time out, giving them the opportunity to make their way back to God and His ways.

PRINCIPLE When we rebel against God, He loves us enough to correct us and bring us back to a place of submission and proper relationship with Him.

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- a place of chastening for the wilfully rebellious child of God

- time out Heb 12:1-11

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III. What’s This About Rest?

The author of Hebrews drew from Israel’s wilderness experience to address this idea of rest, which is connected to our salvation in Christ. However there are shades of meaning that are important to understanding how rest works in the Christian life.

1. Christ’s Salvation Rest (Hebrews 4:1-3)

Hebrews 4:1–3 NASB95

1 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.2 For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.3 For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,“As I swore in My wrath,They shall not enter My rest,”although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.

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Simply by entering into salvation through Christ, we have access to his rest.

Jesus himself described this rest in Matthew 11...

Matthew 11:28–30 NASB95

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:280

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2. God’s Sabbath Rest (Hebrews 4:4)

Hebrews 4:4 NASB95

4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And Godrested on the seventh day from all His works”;

OT

Hebrews 4:4-8

God’s Sabbath Rest is also available to us by virtue of our salvation in Christ. In this rest, we get to rest from our works, just as God rested after He worked on creating the world.

God’s Sabbath Rest (, )

Hebrews 4:4–11 NASB95

4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And Godrested on the seventh day from all His works”;5 and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.”6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,“Today if you hear His voice,Do not harden your hearts.”8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

Hebrews 4:4 NASB95

For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And Godrested on the seventh day from all His works”;

God’s Sabbath Rest is also available to us by virtue of our salvation in Christ. In this rest, we get to rest from our works, just as God rested after He worked on creating the world.

Hebrews 4:4-

We no longer have to attempt to strive toward acceptance through good works, as we are accepted by God through the work completed on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. Israel’s Canaan Rest ()

Hebrews 4:5–8 NASB95

5 and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.”6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,“Today if you hear His voice,Do not harden your hearts.”8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.

Hebrews 4:4–8 NASB95

4 For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And Godrested on the seventh day from all His works”;5 and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.”6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience,7 He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,“Today if you hear His voice,Do not harden your hearts.”8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that.

This Canaan Rest is a rest of submission to God. The Israelites missed this rest on their first visit to Kadesh Barnea because they refused to submit to God.

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(; ; Heb 3:11)

Israel’s Canaan Rest (; ; Heb 3:11)

This Canaan Rest is a rest of submission to God. The Israelites missed this rest on their first visit to Kadesh Barnea because they refused to submit to God.

As I said previously, this rest is given to us as we lay claim to the inheritance that God granted us at salvation. But we gain access to this rest as we gain victory in Christ throughout our life trusting in Him and obeying His words.

4. Believer’s Eternal Rest ()

Believer’s Eternal Rest ()

Hebrews 4:9-11

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III. What was Joshua’s Purpose?

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Hebrews 4:9–11 NASB95

9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience.

Soldier - protected the Israelites from an attack by the Amalekites

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Servant - aide to Moses

Spy - in Canaan, one of those who trusted God

Successor - named by God to succeed Moses

The final rest that we will receive is a future rest in Heaven as we dwell with God. This will be most like the Sabbath rest as we will be in God’s presence and all our cares and worries of this world will be gone.

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III. What was Joshua’s Purpose?

Conclusion

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God’s People Show Trust in God

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We are on our own Exodus journey out of the bondage of sin and into a restfully obedient life that can be victorious and fruitful when we are fully dependent upon God and when we fully trust Him to care for our needs and fulfill His purposes in us and through us.

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Canaan - The Promised Land is not an image for heaven, even though many hymns have drawn that analogy.

Canaan represents our inheritance from God, given freely by God and claimed by faith in God.

Our current life in Christ, here before we arrive in Heaven, is a life of battles and blessings, but also a life of rest (Heb 4-5).

Too many Christians are living in the wilderness (between Egypt and Canaan). They have been delivered from the bondage of sin, but they have not by faith entered into the inheritance of rest and victory.